2011 Barrister North Coast Red Wine

Well all right, I am back on the interwebs!  Which means I am no longer limited to doing blog posts from my iPhone and instead can do them will full access to spell check and a full range of fonts!  So to celebrate, I've opened up a bottle of 2011 Barrister North Coast red wine that I bought from the Wines Till Sold Out (WTSO) cheapskate even a few weeks ago.  Not they said it was similar to the Orin Swift efforts on the Prisoner, which I like so why not give it a try?

The wine is a lovely deep ruby in the glass the tends toward a nice purple at the center.  The nose is concentrated with fruit, black plum, cherries, cassis with some notes of fresh herbs and forest floor.  The taste is much less fruity than I was expecting, nice flavors of black licorice, coffee that transitions to some black pepper and spice notes midpalate.  The finish is quite nice, with subdued tannins and a smooth, elegant finish that beckons for another sip.

Overall I would rate this wine a solid 7.5, as it's a nice wine that does live up to its reputation as the Prisoner's little brother, but at a value price (I think I paid about $18 for this one).  Tonight I am enjoying this wine with some fresh baked pork chops (did I mention that I went in with some friends and bought a pig last week?), baked potato and steamed asparagus, a classic Sunday dinner.  The fruit in the wine makes it an ideal accompaniment for the wonderful flavors of pork.  Salut!

2012 La Crema Monterey Pinot Noir

Here we are at the second wine of the Snooth virtual tasting of the wines of La Crema, a quality producer of wine from Santa Rosa, Calif.  The next wine is the 2012 Monterey Pinot Noir, now of course having lived for a while in Portland, you know my bias towards Oregon Pinot Noir, particularly those from the Willamette Valley, but I'll still keep an open mind on this effort from California!

The wine is a lighter color in the glass, quite typical of pinot noir.  The nose is classic pinot, tart fruit notes, cherry and blackberry, and a hint of leather and tar.  The taste is warm and pleasant, makes me feel like I'm enjoying a nice summer evening on the patio.  Very nice fruit, blueberry and strawberry notes with some nice minerality midpalate.  The finish is quite nice with some tartness but very smooth and dry, very creamy and quite reminiscent of many Oregon pinots. 

Overall I would rate this wine a solid 7.5, as it's a really nice example of a fine pinot noir, very light, warm and smooth.  Tonight I am enjoying this wine with some oven roasted pork loin chops, mashed potatoes and roasted Brussels sprouts, but I could see this one being lovely with some poached salmon with wild mushroom risotto as well.  Cheers!

 

2011 Dearly Beloved I Thee Red

Friday is here!  Whoo Hooooo!  So what are Fridays for besides having a bit of relaxation and a nice bottle of wine?  And tonight's wine is a nice bottle that like me is simply a day late and a buck short, as this bottle would have been wildly appropriate last night, for Halloween, the 2011 Dearly Beloved I Thee Red wine from California, a nice blend of red varietals from the Central Coast.  As I recall, this wine had a lot going for it when I picked it up at Trader Joe's a year or so ago, not the least of which was the painted label with the creepy skull!

The wine itself is somewhat lighter and very clear, with a bright ruby countenance.  The nose is very pleasant with some rich, ripe berries on top, with a hint of tart cherry, tar and green grass.  The taste has some nice ripe fruit up front that lingers to some real jamminess mid palate, along with some hints of oak and vanilla bean.  The finish was somewhat lackluster, as the lingering fruit was offset by some modestly developed tannins that made for a smooth, semi-dry finish, that overall was quite pleasant.

I would rate this wine a solid 7.5, it wasn't spectacular to drink, but it was pleasant and a great value at under $10 from Trader Joe's as I recall.  Tonight I am enjoying this wine with a classic worked late and just got home Friday dinner, or pepperoni pizza with a few peperoncinis in the side.  The fruit of the wine really balances the spice of the pizza, yummy and warm for a cold rainy night, cheers!

2010 Maison Nicolas Perrin Syrah Viognier

Tonight's wine is an interesting one that I picked up yesterday at G.B. Russo's and it's interesting for a number of reasons, not least of which is the lesson in bureaucracy I received, though it's that bureaucratic effect that led to my getting this wine at a bargain price!  The winemaker, Nicolas Perrin wanted to make a wine in the style of a Hermitage in the northern Rhone, but at a price that would make it much more approachable to young people (as opposed to $300 a bottle!).  So he came up with a blend of 97% Syrah and 3% Viognier sourced from the northern Rhone.  Unfortunately when it came time to bottle the wine, the French authorities would not allow him to classify it as anything but a "Vin de Table" which was the lowest classification and only allows you to state on the label the producer and that it comes from France.  Then, as he tried to export it to the United States, the Bureau of Alcohol Tobacco Firearms and Explosives would not allow him to state a vintage on a "Vin de Table" so he ended up with the very basic label we see before us.  But by 2012, the French had changed their rules creating the "Vin de France" category which allowed a vintage to be added, so now he is changing the label and liquidating all the wine in the old labels, voila!  A bargain!

The wine itself is very dark ruby with a tinge if India ink.  The nose is very rustic, with aromas of peat moss, forest floor and wild herbs, over just a hint of fresh cut grass.  Now keep in mind this wine needs some time to breathe, so you might consider decanting or letting it breathe for an hour or more as I have this evening.  The wine has a very rustic taste up front, with wild herbs, grass and great minerality at the outset, with very mild red fruit that expresses itself nicely midpalate.  The finish is very smooth, as the tannins accent the mineral characteristics and make for a very smooth finish.

Overall I would rate this wine a solid 7.5, as it's not a wine for everyone, but for those who really appreciate the great mineral character and terroir that can be expressed in a wine from the Rhone valley.  As I mentioned earlier, it was also a great bargain at only $8!  The wine would pair well with richer dishes as a nice contrast for heavy cream sauces or sweeter dishes.  Tonight I am pairing this wine with some maple and bourbon glazed roast pork tenderloin, some baby potatoes with butter and parsley and some baby carrots from my garden.  Bon Appetit!

2010 Wrongo Dongo Monastrell

It's the middle of the week and what better way to celebrate hump day than with a fun wine?  And tonight's is certainly fun, as the name says it all, the 2010 Wrongo Dongo Monastrell from Jumilla Spain!  I have to admit, I bought this bottle at the World Market about a year ago, just because I couldn't get over the name, and I figured at less than $10 how could I go wrongo?

The wine itself is a deep ruby color in the glass, giving you a sense that this is a heartier Spanish wine, which it is, as Monastrell is the Spanish version of Mourvedre, which is a blending grape in the Southern Rhone, but a primary grape in many wines from Southeast Spain.  The nose is very rustic, with aromas of leather, sagebrush and forest floor accented by rich ripe fruit, blackberries, ripe cherries and plums.  The taste is delightfully fruit forward, with a burst of ripe berries and prune that mellows through the midpalate where there is a smooth transition to some mint and herb notes.  The tannins are somewhat tight, allowing the fruit and spice notes to really carry through on the finish.

Overall I would rate this wine a 7.5, it's quite pleasant to drink, but even moreso it's a great value as I think I paid about $9 for this bottle!  Tonight I'm enjoying it with some rotisserie chicken and a nice salad of field greens and raspberries, as the wine really balances well with the savory spice in the chicken.  It would also pair well with a variety of roast meats, or some spicy sausage and polenta.  Cheers!

2005 Steve Hoff Barossa Shiraz

Sometimes you just need to open a bottle of wine to remind yourself of the many blessings you have in life, wonderful people, friends and family, health and wonderful food to share, and even summer days that are cooler than normal (like much of this summer it seems!).  So to remind myself of all these wonderful things, I've decided to open a nice bottle from down under, the 2005 Steve Hoff Barossa Shiraz, or Syrah as they say in the northern hemisphere!

When I opened the wine, the cork was almost black, and for an 8-year old wine, that's not a bad thing, and it certainly showed it in the color in the glass, a deep, majestic purple at the center and a bright ruby along the edges.  The nose was lovely, rich ripe black fruit, blackberries, cherries and prune, overlaid with lovely notes of leather and anise and some exotic spice notes that just scream Aussie Shiraz!  The taste was very nice, with some rich ripe fruit at the outset, almost jammy at times, blueberries, plum and cassis that transitions to some wild spice midpalate, baking powder and Asian spice.  The tannins are very subdued, yet the finish was still quite nice, smooth and dry.

Overall I would rate this wine a solid 8, as it's a very pleasant example of a classic Barossa Shiraz, and I don't recall if this was a bargain or not since it's been in my cellar a few years (this should be a prompt for me to keep better records eh?).  Tonight I am enjoying this wine with, of course, a grilled lamb chop with a dry spice rub, some linguine tossed with garlic and olive oil and some steamed purple, yellow and green beans that I bought from the farmers' market this past weekend.  Cheers!

2012 Villa Pozzi Nero D'Avola

So tonight I've decided on a recent wine club selection to open with my dinner, the 2012 Villa Pozzi Nero D'Avola from Sicily.  I know it's still a bit young, but I think this is one of the red varietals of Italy that can be enjoyed relatively young as opposed to something more ageworthy like a Brunello or Super Tuscan.

The wine itself is somewhat lighter in color than many heavier red wines, but it presents a lovely nose of blackberry, tart cherry, rich leather, dried spices and an interesting twang.  The taste was surprising, I was expecting it to be rather tart based on the nose, but rather it was very smooth with tastes of sweet berries, plum and a bit of fig that transitioned into some candied apricots and dusty limestone midpalate.  The tannins were somewhat mellow, lending to the round, supple finish that really capped off the fruit.

Overall I would rate this wine a solid 7.5, it's a bit young, but it was also a good value as I bought this one from wineshopper.com for $9!  Tonight I am enjoying this with a rare marinated T-bone steak topped with caramelized red onions and served with some fresh steamed brussels sprouts and some linguine tossed with garlic and olive oil.  The fruit of the wine offered a wonderful foil to the heartiness of the charred steak and lightness of the pasta.  Cheers!

2006 Sawtooth Skyline Red Wine

So tonight I've decided to open up a bottle of wine that I bought about a year ago at a KOA campground in Twin Falls, Idaho of all places!  In my cross country drive, I decided to stop and camp at this KOA, and it was a real first class operation, you could buy firewood and they'd deliver it to your site, and the camp store had a lot of grocery items and a selection of local wines.  I picked up a bottle of the 2006 Sawtooth Skyline Red Wine to have with my dinner cooked out in the moonlight and decided I liked it so much I bought another bottle the next morning to bring back.  The wine is from the Snake River Valley, a still developing wine region that has a lot of hidden gems I've discovered.  This particular wine is a blend of Cabernet Sauvignon (62%), Syrah (29%), Merlot (8%) and Cabernet Franc (1%).

The wine itself is a nice ruby color in the glass and the nose has some sweet, tangy notes, along with some leather, smoke and green herb aromas.  The taste is modestly fruit forward, with some flavors of ripe plum and blueberry that transitions to some smoky, woody flavors midpalate.  The finish is very dry, with some flavors of limestone as the rather brusque tannins leave it a bit short.

Overall, I would rate this wine a solid 8, as it's a very pleasant drinking wine from an unexpected place, and it was a good value at only $13 (even at a campground store that likely has higher markups!).  Tonight I paired this wine with a nice northwest dinner of cedar planked salmon, whole grain shells with four-cheese sauce and some haricots verts almandine.  The smoky notes in the wine along with the acid and fruit played really nicely against the smoky richness of the salmon, so yummy!

2008 Naisi Nero D'Avola Tannat

Tonight I've decided to open an little red blend from Sicily, the 2008 Naisi, a blend of Nero D'Avola (75%) and Tannat (25%), which should make a nice wine to stand up to my seemingly daily steak intake!  I bought this wine a few weeks ago at John Russo's in Grand Rapids, which has a really nice selection of interesting wines, particularly from areas of Italy that you don't see as often, like Sicily.

This wine is a deep purple in the glass, with a good bit of opacity near the center and graduating toward a brighter ruby along the edges.  The nose is an interesting combination of ripe cherry, dark chocolate and leather, with a good bit of smokiness as well.  The taste is nicely fruit forward, with a blast of tart cherry and prune up front, which sounds awful, but actually works quite well.  The fruit transitions to some bitter herbs and gravel midpalate, before the rather tightly wound tannins bring it all together for a smooth, dry finish.

Overall, I would rate this wine a solid 7.5, it's a very nice wine that's a bit off the beaten path of your everyday red, with a more rustic quality that pairs nicely with red meat and game.  And the cost wasn't outrageous either, I think I bought this bottle on sale for $14.  Tonight I am enjoying this with a rare grilled New York strip and some grilled veggies and steak fries, which offer a perfect balance to the wine.  Cheers!

2005 Cerro Anon Rioja Reserva

Tonight I am venturing to Spain for some wonderful Rioja, a wine I've really developed a fancy for over the past year or so.  This wine was an office wine club selection, and it a lovely blend of Tempranillo (80%), Garnacha (5%) with the balance made up of Mazuelo and Graciano.  I think what I like so much about the Spanish reds is how food friendly they are, the wines are just so balanced that you could pair them with a wide variety of dishes and still at the end of the meal you just feel satisfied.

This wine has a lovely bright ruby color, with limited opacity.  The nose is quite nice, with notes of red currant, anise, tar and a good bit of minerality swirling around.  The taste is a sophisticated blend of ripe red fruit, but without the sweetness you might expect, the rich dark fruit is wonderfully balanced with acidity that just gives this wine a vibrant pop midpalate.  The lush mouthfeel and smooth tannins make for a balanced, but long finish that leaves you asking for more.

Overall, I would rate this wine a solid 8.5, as I think it's a great example of the greatness of Spanish reds, but at a spectacular value - this wine was available from Wines Till Sold Out for $12.99!  To demonstrate the versatility, tonight I am enjoying this wine with some poached salmon with honey dijon reduction, some steamed rice and broccoli, the tartness and structure of the wine is the perfect counterbalance to the sweetness of the salmon, cheers!

2011 Macchia "Amorous" Lodi Sangiovese

So tonight I am enjoying two lovely wines from Lodi, California for the Snooth.com Lodi virtual tasting (you can check it out here: http://www.snooth.com/virtual-tasting/video/lodi-virtual-tasting-room/) and the first one I am tasting tonight is the 2011 Macchia "Amorous" Sangiovese.  This will be interesting, since I very partial to Lodi Zinfandels, but I don't think I've tasted any other varietals from Lodi!  Here goes nothing!

The color of this wine is a lighter garnet all around, very similar to many Sangiovese from Italy.  The nose is very interesting, with some tobacco, lovely dry spice notes, black pepper and a hint of fresh mint and lots and lots of oak.  The taste has a wonderful floral quality up front, which eases into some lighter fruit notes and fresh herbs midpalate.  The finish is very smooth, with lovely notes of gravel and mint that is quite dry.  This wine strikes me as a very food friendly wine, as the more subtle flavor profile would tend to compliment a wide variety of dishes, from rich pastas, to grilled salmon to pizza on a Friday night!

Overall, I would rate this one a solid 8, as I think it's a very nice example of a classic Sangiovese that would be great with food, or just sipping on the patio on a summer afternoon. It's also a decent value at about $22, an added plus.  Tonight I am enjoying this wine and it's companion with spicy noodles from a local Thai restaurant, I love Thai food and this wine really holds up nicely to the spice! This would also be great with a lot of pasta dishes, and especially braciole, so long since I've had good braciole!

2008 Helix Stillwater Creek Vineyard Sangiovese

Well, it's been a long week and it's time to relax with a nice bottle of wine from one of my favorite producers!  Tonight it's the 2008 Helix Stillwater Creek Vineyard Sangiovese, which is produced by Reininger out of Walla Walla.  I was impressed with their Sangiovese when I visited last year, and fortunately for my, this was the Spring wine club selection so I just received a couple bottles a week or so ago.

The wine is a bright ruby color in the glass, and not nearly as opaque as some varietals, and perhaps a little darker than your standard Tuscan version of Sangiovese.  The nose is a luscious combination of rich Corinthian leather (nod to Ricardo Montalban, RIP), ripe berries, layered with a bit of dried spice.  The taste is somewhat unexpected for what is billed as a more acidic red wine.  There is some cool fruit up front, but not the sweet jammy fruit the nose might lead you to expect.  The fruit transitions effortlessly to some dried herbs and a some earthy flavors midpalate, before giving way to a lovely smooth, exceedingly dry finish. Given the dryness, the acidity and the well balanced tannins, this wine would be a very approachable one with a wide variety of dishes.

Overall, I would rate this one a solid 8, it's a pure pleasure to sip, though it's not your everyday wine with at $29, though it's a bit less with your wine club discount.  Tonight I am enjoying this one with a nice rare grilled Angus T-bone, a baked potato and some steamed broccoli, a lovely well balanced dinner!  It would also pair very well with a variety of tomato based Italian dishes, or a variety of hard aged cheeses.  A fun Italian varietal produced right in the heart of Washington's wine country, cheers!

Woodward Canyon Red Wine

Well tonight we have another fine Washington wine for Washington Wine Month, the Woodward Canyon Red Wine.  Now this wine is a non-vintage wine, so it may contain grapes from multiple vintages, though given that I bought this bottle in May of 2012, it likely was produced from 2009 or 2010 wine.  This bottle was a blend of Merlot (54%), Cabernet Franc (20%), Cabernet Sauvignon (17%), Petit Verdot (7%) and Syrah (2%).  In any case, let's get to the wine!

The wine had a deep ruby color, with nice body and a nose of leather and black fruit, accented by some hints of dry herbs.  The taste was interesting, with some bright fruit at the outset, ripe plum, black currant and a bit of cherry, that transitioned into some leather and chalk mid palate.  The finish had some mild earthy notes and spice, while the mellow tannins made for a smooth, dry finish.

Overall, I would rate this one a solid 7.5, it was a pleasure to sip, but if I recall, it was a little more expensive than I'd prefer for an everyday drinking red at around $21.  As for pairings, this would do well with a variety of rich dishes, but since it's St. Patrick's day, tonight I'll be enjoying it with some delicious corned beef and cabbage, with some assorted root vegetables as well.  What a great holiday that let's you know Spring is right around the corner!

2005 Burgess Napa Valley Syrah

Tonight I've decided to crack open a bottle that I've had sitting in the cellar for a while, not sure what I was saving it for other than a Wednesday night, so here we are, the 2005 Burgess Napa Valley Syrah!

The wine is a nice ruby color in the glass, and the nose presents a nice combination of anise, leather, oak and some chocolate notes, with just the faintest hint of mint.  The taste is quite mellow overall, with some dark fruit at the outset, ripe berries and black cherry, which transitions to notes of leather and tobacco midpalate.  The finish is quite bright at first, but then becomes more subdued, as you let it breathe, ultimately transitioning to a smooth, dry finish with some lovely spice around the edges.

I don't recall where I bought this one or how much I paid, but it's a nice little wine that I would rate a solid 7.5.  Tonight I am pairing this with some wonderful prosciutto stuffed perline pasta that I picked up at Trader Joe's, along with some lovely creamy pesto.  The wine really makes the earthy notes of the prosciutto stand out, which is a pleasant surprise, but it would also be very nice with a variety of grilled meats.  Cheers!

2009 BenMarco Cabernet Sauvignon

So tonight I am enjoying a lovely Cabernet Sauvignon from Argentina, the nation where someday I hope to retire (great beef and wine, what more do you need in retirement?).  This wine, the 2009 Benmarco Cabernet Sauvignon hails from the high desert of Mendoza, and was blended with a bit of Merlot (5%) and Cabernet Franc (5%) and aged in a combination of French and American oak for 11 months. 

 

The wine itself has a lovely nose of rich leather, ripe berries, licorice and spice, aromas that remind me of a high-quality Cabernet.  The taste presents some modest fruit up front with flavors of ripe plum and black currant, which quickly transitions to some lively spice and mint midpalate.  The finish is tight, with a good bit of tartness as the well structured tannins support a long, smooth, dry finish.  A nice wine that would be great to sip in front of a fire on a lovely February evening.

Overall, I would rate this wine a solid 8 as it's just a nice solid Cabernet.  I got this wine for Christmas in a wines gift pack that my Aunt Janet from Las Vegas sent me, and I can't complain a bit about this one!  Tonight I am enjoying it with some Thai food, but it would easily be a lovely complement to a rare grilled ribeye.  It's been a while and it's about time I enjoyed a nice bottle of wine for an evening, cheers!

2009 Concannon Central Coast Petite Sirah

I am just exhausted!  I've been so busy with work and various other fun projects I haven't had time to even sit back and enjoy a bottle of wine.  Even tonight, it's past 8:00 and I just got home from the gym, need to make dinner and review this wine!  But at least there's wine, and tonight it's a bottle of 2009 Concannon Central Coast Petite Sirah.  I've had this wine before, but it's been a few years, and I can't recall the previous vintage, but I do recall that I liked it quite a bit.  And of course the fun thing about a petite sirah is that it's neither petite nor syrah, but rather it's a bigger, bolder wine made from the Durif grape.

This wine is a lovely deep purple in the glass, and presents a nose of tart cherry fruit, cut grass, and hints of leather and dark chocolate.  The taste is marvelously fruit forward, with dark fruit flavors and just a bit of tartness giving way to some richness of ripe plum, and earthy spice midpalate.  The finish is quite dry, with very smooth tannins supporting a very modest finish.

Overall I would rate this wine a solid 7.5, it's a very good example of a petite sirah, and it was a real bargain at just $7 from Trader Joe's!  Tonight I am pairing this wine with a mission style burrito, with grilled steak, onions and peppers, as I just think this type of wine really complements the spice and smokiness of Mexican food.  So if you have the chance, stop by Trader Joe's an pick up a bottle for yourself!

2008 Cantina del Grifone 1967 Toscana

Tonight I need to relax!  I've returned to work which is always a challenge after being out for more than a week for the holidays.  Why is it that holidays are always so much work?  I long for the days when I was a kid and it was all waiting, then opening presents, eating till your heart's content and then someone else was there to clean up the mess!  At any rate, tonight I am enjoying a nice little bottle of Tuscan wine that I picked up at Trader Joe's over said holiday break, the 2008 Cantina del Grifone 1967 Toscana, a nice blend of Sangiovese (85%), Cabernet Sauvignon (10%) and Syrah (5%).

The wine is a very nice, rich ruby color in the glass, exhibiting the proper characteristics of a Sangiovese blend.  The nose just starts speaking Italian to me, scents of anise, oak, and the spice section of my local Italian market (so what would that be, perhaps some oregano, basil, rosemary and thyme?).  The taste is fairly smooth and well balanced, nothing that makes your heart skip a beat, some ripe fruit on the front end, intermingled with some floral notes leading to a hint of tart cherry midpalate, and a smooth dry finish with a bit of cocoa powder.

Overall, I would rate this wine a solid 7, not because it was such a spectacular wine, but because it was just a fantastic value at only $6!  Trader Joe's has a lot of wines in this price range, and I find many of them to be worth considerably less, but this one is a new favorite!  Tonight I am pairing it with a bit of linguine with some homemade red sauce, the perfect accompaniment to a nice value Tuscan red!  Cin cin!

2008 Castello Monsanto Chianti Classico Riserva

Yesterday I was talking with a colleague who is taking a trip to Italy over the holidays, and as a result of that conversation, I really had a hankering for a nice bottle of Italian wine.  Hence, tonight I've opened a bottle of 2008 Castello Monsanto Chianti Classico Riserva!  Now a good Chianti is a classic Italian wine from Tuscany, made entirely from the Sangiovese grape, making it a lovely accompaniment to a variety of Italian dishes, from basic pastas, to risotto, to bistecca alla fiorentina, the classic Tuscan porterhouse!

The wine itself has a lovely deep ruby color in the glass and presents a nose of leather, licorice and some floral notes that almost feel chewy as you breath them in.  The taste is somewhat fruit forward, with flavors or ripe plum and tart cherry at the front end, transitioning to some wonderful earthy, spicy notes midpalate.  The well structured tannins and bright acidity make for a lovely smooth, long finish.  It's exactly what you would expect from a nice Chianti Classico.

Overall, I would rate this wine a solid 8, it's a great example of a classic Italian red wine, and I found it for a decent price of only $22 at my local wine merchant, G.B. Russo's.  Tonight I am enjoying this wine with a very simple dinner of linguine with some sausage and arrabiata sauce, as the spice of the sauce really plays well against the fruit and spice notes in this wine.

2008 Villa Mattielli Amarone della Valpolicella

It's Friday I'm in love...for those of you who are children of the 1980s and 1990s, you'll instantly recognize those words as a title of a song by The Cure.  Well today is Friday, and I'm in love with Amarone!  It's been a long week with a lot of travel for work, so I figured tonight I should treat myself with a little something special from Italy, a nice Amarone della Valpolicella, a wine that is somewhat eclectic in its style, but certainly worthwhile in every way!

The wine is a nice ruby color in the glass, but somewhat lighter than many Amarones, this is likely due to its somewhat youthful presence.  The nose is quite pleasant, with aromas of sweet berries, ripe plums and licorice.  The taste is big and fruit forward with flavors of plum, raisin and ripe berries, transitioning to strawberries and grass midpalate, leading to a nicely structured and dry finish.  Although it's 15% alcohol by volume, I didn't notice a strong alcohol presence in the wine, though I note that the wine could use a few more years of cellaring before coming into its prime.

Overall I would rate this wine a 7.5 with room to improve over time, plus it was a good value from Wines Till Sold Out for less than $25.  Tonight I am pairing it with the classic Italian American favorite, pizza pie!  In this instance a lovely Home Run Inn frozen pizza, which is classic Chicago style thin crust pizza, with sausage and pepperoni (for those unfamiliar, you should really try one before you dismiss it out of had, it's my all time favorite frozen pizza)!  The sweet fruit of the wine plays nicely with the spice of the meat, and throw in a few pepperoncinis and you have a lovely meal for spending an evening relaxing from a hard week of work!  Salut!

2011 Honoro Vera Garnacha

You know, I just don't drink enough Spanish wines.  I know they are having loads of troubles over there, so I figured they make wonderful wines and I should help out by buying a bottle or two!  In this case, it's the 2011 Honoro Vera Garnacha, which is the Spanish version of Grenache, a grape from the south of France that I've taken quite a fancy to in recent months.  This wine comes from the city of Calatayud, which lies just to the southwest of the French border in the Sistema Iberico mountain range, roughly equidistant from the Atlantic and Mediterranean coasts.

The wine itself is a very deep purple color in the glass, trending to more ruby color along the edges.  The nose is a very pleasant combination of sweet fruit scents with a combination of strawberries, sweet cherries and plums with just the faintest hint of cedar and spices.  The first taste brings some surprising smokiness and gravel which are enveloped by the fruit flavors, which present themselves as very jammy at first, flavors of ripe cherries and blueberries, which transition to rich plums laced with exotic spices that seem almost Oriental.  The young tannins are surprisingly well integrated leading to a lovely smooth finish.

Overall I would rate this wine a solid 7.5 as it's really a lovely, fruit forward example of the varietal that makes it wonderfully food friendly, plus it was a great value at only $8!  Tonight I am pairing it with some tortilla crusted tilapia, a variety of fingerling potatoes and some steamed asparagus, and I really love the way the fruit in the wine plays off the spice of the fish, very lively!  So try a lovely Spanish red wine if you have the opportunity!